Description

We all want stems that are strong and light. We want them to be durable, and we want them to minimize stress on the handlebar and fork clamped on either end of the stem. Easton addresses all points in their EA90 stem.

The most unique feature of the EA90 is the DST technology faceplate. Distributed Stress Technology is simple, but works wonders. It appears to be just a flourish; notice how the "E" icon spreads past the four bolts on both sides. This increases the contact area between the face plate and the handlebars. Essentially, the clamp itself creates edge stress, and tightening the bolts creates clamp stress. The way the faceplate is wider than the bolts means those stresses are distributed over a wider area and those aren't as concentrated on the handlebar.

The stem also has what Easton called Top Lock technology. This means that you should tighten the top of the clamp first so the faceplate is directly contacting the stem. This creates a stronger force against the bars and increases the stem bolts fatigue life.

This aluminum stem comes in two different rises 0-degrees (sometimes called a 90-degrees) because it is perpendicular to the steerer tube; the second is +/- 10-degrees (sometimes known as 80/100-degrees). The height of the steerer tube clamp is 40mm; it is secured by two opposing bolts to minimize stresses on the steerer tube. The stem is available in 31.8mm handlebar clamp and 1 1/8th inch steerer clamp only. Lengths available are 90-130mm in 10mm increments. All bolts are made of steel and accept 4mm Allen keys and a max torque of 8Nm. The stem can be used with any handlebar and fork combination that has the matching diameters. There is a limited five-year warranty on the stem. The stem is available in Black. The claimed weight of the Easton EA90 stem is 130g (in the 120mm size).

Comment on blip48546's review:

Strong and light.

Familiarity:
I've put it through the wringer

I previously had the 100mm version then went down to 80mm and finally ended up with a 70mm. Due to the shorter length it is significantly lighter and stiffer than the previous sizes I've used. I have the current 70mm on my 2013 Orbea Occam 29 carbon with Raceface SIXC 785mm low rise bars. It makes the bike handle very well. Easton has had a mixed record for the last few years but when it comes to their stems and bars I can only say good things about them. I don't like their hubs but they know how to make strong and light carbon fiber rims and bars along with strong stems. I can't feel a difference between these and my old Thomson Elite X4 stem only that it's much lighter.

Comment on eri2499850's review:

EA90 Black Zero (90) Degree

Comment on Seneb's photo:

Upgraded my cross/commuter

Needed a longer stem for my cross cycle that I am using for a commuter through the Fall and Winter months. Getting those extra miles on my legs, saving gas, and loving life. Found the Easton EA90 Stem at a great price here at Huck Easy installation and great looks too. Easton even has the torque settings engraved into the stem. Super customer service at Easton too. They replaced the handle bar bolts for free even after I told them that it was my fault because I over-torqued the original bolts. I did not read the torque numbers and went with the numbers off of my old stem. Lesson learned great customer service at Easton and always read the fine print before assembly.

Comment on Novarider's review:

Go Easton Young Man

I just installed my EA90 stem on my bike. The original stem is perfectly good, but was 110 mm. The way to measure if your saddle is installed correctly is to put your elbow against the very front of the nose of your saddle, extend your middle finger which should be in the middle and over your handle bars. When I measured, I surely needed a shorter stem, since my finger was short by inches with the seat moved as forward as possible. I installed the new shorter stem, and my Pinorello FP=3 DuraAce was even more comfortable to ride - I do about 50 miles every other day. Another way to tell if your stem is the right size is to to look down and see if the axle of your front wheel looks as though it is under the handle bars. If it looks like its forward of the bars, you need a shorter stem....to the rear of the handle bars you need a longer one. The EA90 is aluminum, but I see no advantage to their carbon copy of this stem...they both weigh the same. The Pinorello stem was a bit more flashy looking, however this Easton is finished very nicely and works well. I will attach my bike computer to it, so it will hardly be visable at all. The bike is a bit twitchy with the shorter stem, however, I will get used to that soon enough.

Comment on Stanley Green's review:

Better than carbon version...

I bought this stem along with the carbon version (EC90) to perform a side-by-side, Pepsi challenge styled comparison (remember those?). I liked this one better. Dimensionally and weight-wise they were identical. "They" say that 4-bolt patterns are better (I am not convinced one way or the other) and this one is 4-bolt. I think the two things that made me choose aluminum was price and style - the white stem looks much better than the black carbon with the upside down logo (when mounted 10 degrees up).